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Everyone is creative, by design. Some people like to deny their creative abilities, but that’s because we’ve defined creativity too narrowly. Creativity is not only about being an artist, musician or writer. Creativity is something we do each and every day as we create the spaces we live in, as we create ideas, thoughts, words, as we create gardens, meals, relationships and so much more. We create constantly.

I consider God to be the creator of all, in an intelligent-design sort of way. And I believe that we were created in the image of the Divine, in the sense that we are capable of reflecting the Divine when we love and when we create out of that love. In this very real sense we are co-creators with God.

Now, this concept tends to make people very uncomfortable. What do you mean I’m a co-creator with God? God is THE CREATOR, I don’t do anything on the same level as God. I believe that type of thinking is a cop-out. It enables us to shrug off our responsibility in creation.

Nope… I believe that we are co-creators with God. I believe that the Divine Spark is in each of us and continues to nudge us toward moving ourselves, others and this world to a more healthy, whole, loving place. But God is also not a puppeteer and we’re not dangling on strings… God doesn’t make us do anything, we need to decide that we will be part of God’s team, that we will open ourselves up to God’s leading to create this better place.

Julia Cameron, in her book “The Artist’s Way,” comments, “When we open ourselves to our creativity, we open ourselves to the creator’s creativity within us and our lives.” In other words, once we remove our fingers from the self-imposed dams around our creativity, we unleash our creative power and God’s at the same time. Almost anything can happen from that point!

Let me talk about one last thing we create… our words and our thoughts.

Below is a picture of two water crystals. Dr. Masaru Emoto created a book of stunning pictures of frozen water crystals after they have been subjected to non-physical stimuli. The biggest question was about consciousness. Could thoughts affect the shape and size of crystals?

He put signs on bottles of water that expressed human emotions and ideas. Some were positive, such as “Thank you” and “Love” and others were negative such as the sign that read “You make me sick, I will kill you.” Even science did not believe that this could make an impact on the water crystals, but it did! The water with the positive messages formed beautiful crystals; the water with the negative messages became ugly and malformed.

Now, think of how much of life is made up of water. How much of the surface of the planet is water? How much of our own bodies are water? (70-90%) If thoughts can do that to water, imagine what they can do to us.

Here’s the clincher… we create our thoughts. Perhaps you’d like to dispute this fact with me? Perhaps, you say, when we get in a very emotional state – being depressed or angry or in love – there are other factors and we aren’t in complete control of our thoughts. Perhaps, but I think the point is debatable. By and large, on a daily basis, we can choose what our minds dwell on. We can choose our attitude. We can choose what we say to other people. And even what we don’t say still has an effect. I know when I am receiving angry energy from another person. Now I wonder how that affects my body? And subjected to that over and over again, what does it do?

It makes you think, doesn’t it? And hopefully it helps you realize once more that we ARE co-creators with God… even at the very basic level of our thoughts and words.

As theologian Matthew Fox has said, “Whether the future presents itself as still more beauty or as still more pain depends upon our choices as we respond to our role as co-creators in this ever un-folding creation.”

I feel it would be remiss of me to completely ignore the Presidential election taking place tomorrow. I know a few of you are now panicking… “oh, no, what is she going to say?” Don’t worry, I’m not endorsing any particular candidate. That would be against the IRS rules, although 1600 pastors across the country decided to defy those rules in early October and tell their congregations exactly who to vote for. And, don’t worry, I’m not even going to harp on the issues. There’s been enough of that and I’m not sure anyone is really listening to anything anymore.

Here’s just a reflection or two before I encourage you to get out there and vote.

As a spiritual person, I feel like this election has taken its toll on my soul. I’ve probably paid more attention to this election than any other in my lifetime. I’ve watched the debates and I’ve tried to find more objective news sources for online reports. I’ve tried to shut my brain off at the TV ads, ignore the phone calls ( I don’t care if it is Clint Eastwood), and toss the mailers without reading them because the tactics used on both sides is reproachful. I’m sickened by the mud-slinging and want nothing to do with it.

The spiritual connection that I feel with my Source is filled with peace, harmony, love and compassion. I try to live as much as possible from this place of connectedness, but it is hard with the intensity of this election felt at every turn – bumper stickers, signs, buttons, conversations, email, Facebook – everything. Some people may call me sensitive, but the tension in the country is draining. Right now it feels like a massive tug-of-war between two ideologies and I feel like part of the rope that has been stretched to breaking. Some people may say that my spirituality has nothing to do with politics, that I’m being naive or ignorant to want peace, harmony, love and compassion to be any part of this. But I don’t know how to divorce that part of me from the rest of my life.

I would like to be hopeful today. But I’m saddened instead. We’ve been flooded with the divisiveness of the campaigns and left wondering if anyone can ever work together anymore? Can we all value (at least some of) the same things ever again? Can the country be put back on track by anyone? Can we trust or believe in anything or anyone?

I’m done. I’ve voted. Now I’m praying – joining my energy with God’s in continuing to work in the mess that is this world. It is perhaps the only trust I have left… trust that the divine can create from chaos with our help. We are each co-creators with God, instruments of peace and justice, arms of love. What we create next will be up to all of us, no matter how this election turns out.